Ok, so - bike

[emsumm]

Do I need to get fitted for a mountain bike, too?  I just want to ride for fun, and to take my kids out in the trailer, on weekend rides with H, etc.
I found this one and I am intrigued:
www.costco.com/.product.100039021.html?cm_sp=RichRelevance-_-ensemblepageVerticalRight-_-PopularProductsInCategory&cm_vc=ensemblepageVerticalRight|PopularProductsInCategory
Here's the thing - I just flat-out do not have the money to pay $125 for a fitting at a bike shop, let alone the full price for most brand-new bikes.  I just want something that is good quality, that I can have fun and a bit of exercise on.
If this is awful, I'd like to know, or great, I'd love to know.  Any info is appreciated.

[joenali]

Save money until you can get a proper fitting!!

[emsumm]

Aug 4, 2013 21:12:58 GMT -5 joenali said:

Save money until you can get a proper fitting!!

Sigh.  I really don't want to.  I want to ride with my kids now, while they are young and want to be in a trailer.  I don't want to invest hundred, I just want to ride a bike!

[sadlebred]

I wouldn't buy a bike from anything other than the local bike shop. Costco, Walmart, Target, etc. You will find no love of buying bikes there from anyone here. They are put together by people that do not know how to put bikes together. I've seen forks put on backwards, cables broken, brakes that don't work and worse. You will NOT get good quality bikes from ANY mass merchant. This also includes Kroger, Dicks Sporting Goods, and most other "Major" sporting goods stores.

What do you have against your local bike shop?

[emsumm]

Aug 4, 2013 21:18:25 GMT -5 sadlebred said:

I wouldn't buy a bike from anything other than the local bike shop. Costco, Walmart, Target, etc. You will find no love of buying bikes there from anyone here. They are put together by people that do not know how to put bikes together. I've seen forks put on backwards, cables broken, brakes that don't work and worse. You will NOT get good quality bikes from ANY mass merchant. This also includes Kroger, Dicks Sporting Goods, and most other "Major" sporting goods stores.

What do you have against your local bike shop?

The price.
A fitting alone is $125, that's a lot for someone who just wants to ride for fun, and who doesn't have enough money to spend a lot on a bike.  I do not think the bikes will be even remotely affordable.

[emsumm]

And I get it. I do. When I put it in the context of, say, running shoes, I agree with everything. Shoes just cost less.

[sadlebred]

How much is your budget? Why not buy one nice bike instead of trying to buy several different bikes to do different things? If you go to your local bike shop they can help you pick out a bike.

[emsumm]

My budget is sad. Maybe up to $250 for a bike, and probably $100 for the trailer.
I don't have much to spend on this, but it's something I'd really like to do still.

[joenali]

I would just suggest waiting. Can you tuck away $50 or $100 a month? I bought my first hybrid bike for about $500. It was a great bike and it did what I needed it do.

[sadlebred]

If you can bump your budget up to $350, you can find a nice bike at the bike shop. Then I'd buy the trailer used off Craigslist. For a $350 bike, don't worry about a full $125 fitting. The bike shop will make sure the bike fits. For $125 you get an hour or three with the bike fitter. The free fitting takes a few minutes but is sufficient for what you want to do.

Don't forget to budget for helmets for you and ALL of the kids that will be in the trailer. They can hit their heads, too.

[emsumm]

Also. I haven't ridden a bike since I was 10, until the other day. I've wanted to get one for a long time. I am completely overwhelmed when I look for one.

[emsumm]

Aug 4, 2013 22:06:15 GMT -5 sadlebred said:

If you can bump your budget up to $350, you can find a nice bike at the bike shop. Then I'd buy the trailer used off Craigslist. For a $350 bike, don't worry about a full $125 fitting. The bike shop will make sure the bike fits. For $125 you get an hour or three with the bike fitter. The free fitting takes a few minutes but is sufficient for what you want to do.

Don't forget to budget for helmets for you and ALL of the kids that will be in the trailer. They can hit their heads, too.

This is excellent, thank you.  I think maybe I can swing $350.  I might cheap out on the trailer...just to give you more heart palpitations, lol. 
The kids already have helmets, but I'm borrowing one so that's another thing I'll need to get.

[pamela]

I'd find another bike shop that doesn't charge for the fitting. You're not going for bike endurance events, you'll be fine with a basic bike in the correct frame size for you. That's one thing you really can't get from a mass retailer, even if you can fix any assembly errors they make. We did get our trailer from Walmart for about $75 and haven't had any problems with it. We bought DS's helmet from the bike shop though so the guy could help us figure out what fit him (extra hard on an uncooperative toddler).

[pinkplasticdoll]

A woman that I was a nanny for went to our local bike shop where she was fitted for a model of last years bike to do exactly what you want to do with it and I think it only cost her $400 for her bike, helmet and a bike rack for her car. A cheaper bike that is put together by professionals is doable, I also think that she was told that if she wasnted to trade in her bike towards an upgrade down the line that it was an option as well.

[kams]

Yep - I like sadles suggestion.

My bike fit is the most wprthwhile money I have put into my bike - but that's because I ride it for hours! For a fun bike ride with the kids, just get something you like and the shop will make sure it fits you well enough.

I say check Costco for a trailer. I feel like they ways have good, affordable ones.

And helmets for all!

Have fun!!

[zoidberg]

I bought my bike from REI and they did a basic fitting for free when I picked it up.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2013 7:52:35 GMT -5 zoidberg said:

I bought my bike from REI and they did a basic fitting for free when I picked it up.

I cannot believe you admitted that here.

SHUNNED.

[zoidberg]

I can take the shunning!

I actually thought they did a pretty good job, the guy who did mine was thorough (not like the place where Kams went, but pretty good) and very conscientious.

I'm very happy with my bike.

[zoidberg]

FYI I got mine from REI because it was on clearance and a good, very bike-smart friend recommended that model to me. I couldn't find anything locally of comparable quality for that price.

[clseale]

I purchased my mountain bike (actually DH purchased it for me when we were dating)from a local bike shop. It's a basic trek, and it works well enough. I think it was around $350 and I/we did not do a special fitting. It's been great for what I need it for. We both got entry level bikes and just used them for a little bit of riding together on the weekends when we lived in a place that had decent trails. Of course now that DH has gone out and dropped over $2k on a fancy new mountain bike, it's almost impossible to keep up with him lol, but I only attempt to ride a few times a year. Our new city doesn't really have trails I enjoy, so he goes out with the guys & does his own thing. For what you're looking for, I think Saddle's suggestion is a good one.

[sadlebred]

Aug 5, 2013 8:26:28 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

Aug 5, 2013 7:52:35 GMT -5 zoidberg said:

I bought my bike from REI and they did a basic fitting for free when I picked it up.

I cannot believe you admitted that here.

SHUNNED.

That is because most of the cycling employees at REI know what they are talking about. Here in Atlanta, the bike repair dept. at the I-85 location has a really good reputation. I've had good experiences at REI myself. Then again, REI isn't a typical sporting goods retailer like Sports Authority or Dicks. Most of their departmental employees are outdoor enthusiasts.

[joenali]

REI actually has a bike shop in their store. I've only been a few times, but I've never had a bad experience. If REI is your only choice over wal mart, go to REI.

[emsumm]

I could try REI.
I went to the bike shop this morning, they showed me a $560 comfort bike and a $500 hybrid. They had nothing less expensive.
Newpnewpnewp.

[thom]

Thanks for posting this thread. It's helpful as my H and I look at bikes. Our main problem is I know we should not spend a lot, but H has more expensive taste when he gets something in his brain. He always either wants nothing or the best (within reason). We're not talking titanium or anything, but I was thinking a few hundred, like you say. And apparently nice bikes are waaaay more than I realized. Good luck w/ your search. I think you've got great goals & I hope it goes well.

[aurora]

Aug 5, 2013 8:42:46 GMT -5 zoidberg said:

FYI I got mine from REI because it was on clearance and a good, very bike-smart friend recommended that model to me. I couldn't find anything locally of comparable quality for that price.

One of the issues with buying bikes from non-bike stores is that there can be so much variation in quality for a single "brand" because the frame is only one component of the bike.  For example, I'm in the market for a bike that is obviously in a different price range than is being discussed here, but I could buy the same frame with the absolutely cheapest components for $3300 or the top-of-the-line components for $8500.  It's the same brand, but obviously vastly different quality, and that will impact the components.  Now, obviously it can work out well, but it's way too easy for someone to be sold something they think is good quality because of the brand name on the frame and still have the brakes and shifting mechanism fail on the first ride. 

Back to emsumm, one thing you have going for you is that it's getting close to fall so it's possible a lot of shops will be having good fall sales starting soon.  Although I wouldn't recommend it for a first-time mountain bike buyer who wants to ride real trails, if you're just going to be pulling around a trailer on a path and want to keep your cost to below $250 I'd also recommend trying to find something for $200 on Craigslist in your area and then getting $50 in tuning from your local bike shop. 

[emsumm]

God, this is so overwhelming.